We rolled into Halifax late on a Tuesday night, and Highwayman was the only place still open--and…read morethank god for that. It's a cozy, dimly lit spot with a great vibe for late-night drinks and tapas. The food was solid--I've had tapas in Barcelona, so I won't say it matched that, but for Halifax? It impressed. It was our first meal in the city, and it set the bar high. What really stood out was the service. Genuinely warm, unrushed, and personal. The staff took time to walk us through the menu, share recommendations, and made us feel truly cared for--no sense of "we're winding down," even though we came in late. If you're looking for a relaxed spot with great service and a strong late-night vibe, this is it. Halifax could use more places like this.

Very good scallops and I liked the ambience and vibe. Best place in Halifax! I liked very muchread more

Oysters were some of the freshest I've tried, service was very friendly. Elevated but relaxed…read moreatmosphere.

Three of us ordered eggs benny--2 regular ones and one Korean. We found all three unremarkable. One…read moreof the orders had a piece of eggshell in it. This was all mentioned to the waitress, but other than an apology nothing else was offered. Also, toilets on two different floors did not have toilet paper.

What a unexpected find on our visit to Halifax. The restaurant is in a quiet neighborhood away…read morefrom all the tourist. Jen was the perfect server - was patient in answering all our questions. We were not rushed through the meal and were able to enjoy every item. The fried brussels sprouts is a must have. The butter milk fried chicken is a great new addition to the menu. You must save room for the buttermilk cake - delish - it was moist with blueberries and almonds as a topping

After feasting on seafood for three days, we were hungry for something else. This restaurant has…read morehad really good reviews and we thought we'd give it a try. we had some oysters and tuna tartare, but then we each had a pasta entrée. My chicken thigh ravioli was delightful and my wife had the Cachio e pepe. Pasta was made fresh and entries were served Hot and delicious. The wine list is moderately extensive with a number of options by the glass or less than a bottle. The service was fine. The location is 1.5 miles from the center of town. The crowds were surprisingly light on a Sunday night. It was a nice change of pace with a chance to get away from the mob scene on the water streets.

Decided to check out one of the top bars in Canada in my hometown of Dartmouth. Downtown…read moreDartmouth had changed so much since growing up - it's now the cool place to eat and drink as opposed to somewhat sketchy in the past. Located mid way up Portland Street. Very cozy, intimate environment with an energetic crowd the night I went. Mostly bar seating although there are about 4-5 tables - the most you could probably seat are four people. Had a couple of cocktails - amazing. Food was mostly seafood and extremely fresh, prepared well and innovative - see pictures. Price was reasonable for food of this quality. Will definitely return. Tip - you should probably make reservations. There's a patio in the Summer as well

I'd been living in Dartmouth for a couple months before I finally made my first visit (cut me some…read moreslack, unpacking takes time!), with my wife and I stopping by after work on a Friday. I'd call it happy hour, but Dear Friend is too popular and upscale to bother offering a happy hour, so let's go with the Quebecois term, cinq à sept. I began my weekend wind-down with one of their house creations, All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down). It seemed fitting giving my age demographic, and it was one of the few specialty cocktails with whisk(e)y in it. With an ingredient list even longer than its irreverent title, it combines Jim Beam rye, Hennessey VS cognac, beef tallow (!!), cedar and bayberry leaf. After an impressive rundown from the bartender on the work that went into creating this drink, I thoroughly appreciated it's warmth and depth of flavour on a cool fall evening. The beef tallow made for a velvety smooth mouthfeel, without having globs of fat floating in the drink, and the cedar and bayberry added herbal undertones that contributed without overpowering. For some solid sustenance, we stuck to the bar bites section of the menu, although they do have bigger apps and full-size entrees. Marinated olives were an easy choice, while the falafels beckoned with their deep-fried crispness. To round out our trio, we had to go with the house Party Mix. The Party Mix came out first, and deviates from the classic chip mix by combining sweet and savoury, with caramel popcorn, spiced cashews and mini chocolate truffles. It was endlessly snackable, and great for having a drink at the bar over great conversation with your significant other. I'm not one for the standard black or green olives that come out of ungodly large food service containers, but I've been slowly warming up to higher tier olives, and Dear Friend's very generous bowl was a great bar snack, bordering on small meal. The dish that disappeared the quickest was the falafels. This was partially because they were so damn good and there waere four pieces, as opposed to the other two dishes. They came in finger-form, as opposed to the small pucks/balls that are more commonly seen, and the extra surface area allowed for an even crispier bite, while a delicious cashew tahini cream that lent to the familiar falafel flavour, but with a certain je ne sais quoi. That's right, French twice in one review - I'm fancy AF! Small bits of pickled cauliflower and a delicate layer of microgreens brought brighter flavours to play off the richer note of the falafel and tahini. It's now a local cliché to talk about how much downtown Dartmouth has changed over the past decade or so, and Dear Friend has been one of the standard bearers of that continued change these past few years with their thoughtfully crafted beverages and shareable bites.

Hipster spot that has small plates and larger plates and great drinks. My whiskey sour was just how…read moreI like it--shaken a lot. I wasn't that hungry, so I got two bao buns. Holy moly was that mushroom bao bun delicious. An explosion of flavor. Husband's scallops were delicious as well.

All around AMAZING! Im quite particular about my food and drinks, and this place did a fantastic…read morejob of creating a summer fresh, delicious and creative menu (with great service). I had minor critiques, but overall was in love and would return and recommend to anyone. Food: We started with the bread and mussels. Best mussels we've ever had, as they were cooked perfectly (and fresh) and the broth was heaven. The bread pairing was perfect to soak up all the buttery broth goodness. Next was the Shrimp Bao. The bread was fluffy and light, and shrimp was at chilled room temperature, perfect for a summer day. A good flavour of celery in case you dislike that, but I'd still suggest you try it! Finally we had the Zucchini and Beef Tartare. Zucchini didn't wow, though still fresh and summer minty vibes. Beef Tartare...hands down best we've ever had. The Asian fusion incorporated was perfect. Closed it out with a Strawberry & Cream, which albeit simpler was well done. Drinks: Go for them all. Very creative and they can walk you through tasting notes perfectly. Milk Punch (method; not actually milk; recommend), Strawberry Basil Negroni (strongly recommend; not traditional negroni alcohol forward), Eucalyptus Sour (subtle, calm and collected; recommend), Corn Star (be adventurous, as the chipotle is super subtle; worth the risk; recommend), Vesper (again, not alcohol forward; recommend). Atmosphere: Cozy and charming, yet the accents are vibrant and energizing. Indoor volume is medium, and great for a family, cocktail, date or a "i want a nice drink/bite" any day of the week.

A hidden underrated gem in down town Halifax with delicious food at great prices…read more They have happy hour from 4-9 every day which makes their food less than 7$ and discounted drinks. We have always went to the bitter end but we heard they revamped their style within the last few months and we were so surprised. The food was amazing. We spent less than 40$ on food and we ordered over half the menu! Sweet potato fries with Smokey chipotle which was to die for! The hummus and pita, which was a little watery but the thick cut pita made up for it. The 'avocado and herb dip' which is basically phenomenal guac (I can't wait to go back for this) bacon wrapped scallops and chicken Thai bites. Let me repeat this - less than 40$. You could easily go here as a Vegan or vegetarian and if you love meat, it's great for you too. I have no idea why this restaurant isn't busier, whenever we go it is so dead. Each booth has a candle and some have fire places, dimly lit with red leather seats. A huge bar in the middle of the room. I would definitely recommend this lovely restaurant to everyone and anyone!

The service was good and the ambiance was quiet. It was early in the evening but it appears to be a…read morenice spot to come and have a drink and chat with friends. The bartender was great and Lexi K makes a great lemon drop martini.

The four of us came here for drinks and had the best cocktails we have had probably in our 70…read moreyears. Shun, our bartender is a genius as a mixologist. Unfortunately, we leave tomorrow so we can't try food from the kitchen because we can't eat another thing after tonight's meal (see other review). We can't recommend Kyo Kitchen and Bar enough. Emily our server was fantastic.

New Italian restaurant from the Bertossi group (Bicycle Thief, Il Mercato etc) located at the…read morebottom of a newer upscale apartment complex - the Mills Residence. Two entrances to the place - one of Queen Street and one in an alley with cool shops and stores. Instagrammable interior - especially the lighting fixtures and bar. Standard Italian fare on menu. Service was excellent. The appetizers and dessert were the stars for me. Reasonable price considering it's a higher end restaurant in town. Definitely will need a reservation if you want to eat at a decent time! There is a patio - will be amazing when the weather is warmer. There are heaters above for cooler weather.

Service is wonderful, Danica is amazing!! All the staff made us feel so welcomed and cared for…read more They even included a desert for our anniversary xx thank you!!!

It was a cold evening outside but a deliciously cozy environment inside! I was in the area for work…read moreand this was a great place to wrap up my stay. There are a variety of cocktail and other drink options, including for someone who doesn't drink frequently. And the food! My colleague and I each ordered seafood meals and cleared our plates. I think the grilled lemon was an especially nice touch.

Unfortunately this restaurant relies on its exceptional location and decor to attract patrons…read moreinstead of offering great food and service. Halifax has so many good restaurants that it is surprising Mercantile is still a float. If changes aren't made to improve I can't see this restaurant surviving.

Located amongst the swath of restaurants at the Queen's Marque, the intriguing pan-Asian offerings…read moreat Tori Dori (including a surprising handful of gluten-free dishes) caught my eye for a pre-concert dinner with friends. It's a moderately-sized space, certainly smaller than many of its Freehand Hospitality peers at Queens Marque, but the closer, almost communal seating allows for a good number of people to dine here. The decor is quite reserved, with the ceiling actually being the show piece, as the layers of boards giving a scaled effect and a gradient of charring lending a really cool (hot?) look to the space. The menu is comprised of fancied-up twists on familiar cuisines from across East Asia, with dishes giving nods or deeply tied to countries like Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, and China to just name a few. Some of their smaller dishes were catching my eye, so I ordered the chicken and black garlic dumplings, and the mango salad, while my wife got the pho with spent hen broth. Ever since I first tried one, I've been a big fan of mango salads. The mix of flavours, colours and textures is top tier, and all in one, easily-chopsticked salad! Tori Dori's doesn't stray far from the template, with julienned mango, carrot and red onion that got a mix of heat, freshness, and savoury sweetness from chilis, mint, cilantro and a tamarind sauce. Anything with black garlic in it is bound to get me to order it, and while that unique preparation of garlic didn't feature as prominently on my taste buds as I would have liked, it did lend to a more savoury depth than chicken dumplings usually have. The tender and pleasantly toothsome wrappers held up well to their soy and vinegar dressing. The pho had a slightly more subtle broth than the beef ones that tend to be more common, but it was just as aromatic and satisfying as a good pho should be. Tender slices of chicken breast accompanied the typical pho accoutrements. The understated Tori Dori avoids the Instagram-bait vibe of some of its siblings, and delivers flavourful East Asian dishes with splashes of contemporary flair.

I came in feeling under the weather and craving something hot and spicy to fix me up--this place…read moredelivered. The chicken pho was excellent: flavorful, comforting, and exactly what I needed. I asked for extra red chilies and soon found myself sweating, tearing up, and convinced that all this spice was curing my itchy throat. I was the only one in the restaurant at the time, so I hope nobody caught me blowing my nose and sweating it out at my little table--but honestly, I was in the zone, healing myself with every bite. Service was very attentive, and the staff were genuinely kind. The space itself is beautiful, modern, and welcoming. I'd absolutely recommend this spot if you're looking for great Asian food along the waterfront.